Gas generator



1934- c. w. ANDREWS ET AL ,9 55

GAS GENERATOR Filed April 21, 1928 MAI-,MM

INVENTORS ATTORN EYS Patented Jan. 2, 1934 GAS GENERATOR Charles W. Andrews, Duluth, Minn., and William B. Chapman, Jackson Heights, N. Y.

Application April 21, 1928. Serial No. 271,710

7 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for gas generation, being particularly useful in connection with the generation of water gas, blue gas, 'etc., as set forth in our earlier Patent Number 1,709,335, dated April 16, 1929, entitled Method of generating gas. This application also has certain features which are disclosed. in our copending Patent No. 1,709,334, dated April 16, 1929, entitled Gas generator.

One object of the present invention is to secure a blast distribution which not only will afford adequate blast through the central zone of the firebed, but will also afiord suificient blast in the outer or peripheral zone of the firebed near its enclosing wall, in order to prevent any undue solidification and building up of slag on such wall and otherwise maintain desirable conditions of gas generation in the firebed.

Another feature of the invention is the prevention of overheating of the lower portion of the firebed enclosing wall without however cooling the same to such an extent as to cause the building up of slag as above referred to.

The invention also involves certain novel features in regard to a chamber located beneath the firebed for the purpose of affording the desired blast distribution and receiving ash, and sup-' I ports for the parts of the generator located above the chamber, which will not interfere with the above mentioned blast distribution and ash receiving operations;

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained which, taken in conjunction with first above referred to, we have found that gas may be very advantageously generated in a firebed wherein temperature conditions are so con-- trolled as to maintain an intermediate zone wherein the ash content of the fuel is largely liquefied and thereby caused to run down to a lower zone just above the bottom of the firebed, where the molten ash begins to solidify and from the bottom of the firebed, and in maintaining uniform conditions of gas generation therein.

The present invention is illustrated in connection with a gas generator adapted to operate in the above manner, having refractory sidewalls 1 surrounding the firebed 2, and

a rotary by the agitating member.

The ash may drop downwardly through the openings of grate 4 and also through an outer ash-discharge opening '7 located between the periphery of the grate and skirt 5. 'As shown anash receiving member 8 underlies the skirt 5 and provides an annular trough 9 into which the skirt 5 projects so as to prevent the free passage of ash through the ash discharge opening '7 and the trough. A suitable ash plow 10 operates in the outer portion of the trough 9 and may be adjusted to cause ash to be discharged over the outer rim of the trough at the desired rate, thereby permitting further ash to pass through ash discharge opening '7, into the trough.

In the illustrated form of the invention the ash receiving member 8-is in the form of a large spur gear rotated in some suitable manner which need not be described in detail, and connected to the agitating member 3 so asto turn the latter.

In accordance with the present invention, theash dropping down through grate 4 and from the ash receiving member 8, falls into a. common chamber 11 which also serves as a blast chamber, the blast being supplied, for example, through a suitable pipe 12 having a hood l3 and being capable also of serving as'an exit pipe for the water gas generated during the down run. As

shown, chamber 11 is provided with a circular sidewall 12 and a conical bottom wall 13*, which latter may be provided with a suitable cleanout door 14.

Since the chamber 11 is in communication with the firebed through the outer ash discharge opening '7, as well as through the openings of grate 4, it is found that the air blast will pass upwardly into the firebed through the annular trough 9, as well as throughthe grate, thetdistribution of the gas between the above paths being in accordance with the size of the opening '7 employed;

which is I. TC

The air blast passing up through openings '7 into the outer or peripheral portion of the firebed, we have found to maintain a higher temperature in the region of sidewalls 1, which temperature is sufficient to cause the slag to run down along the sidewalls in the same way that it does in the central region of the firebed, whereby the slag drops down to a position where it may be acted upon and broken up by the agitating member 3, instead of solidifying and building up upon the lower parts of the sidewalls.

The annular skirt 5 is cooled by means of the jackets 15 and 16 which prevent the lower portion of the skirt from becoming overheated by the higher temperatures caused by the air blast through ash discharge opening 7 without, however, cooling the upper portion of the skirt sufficiently to cause slag incrustations upon the bottom of the sidewalls 1.

In order to afford free passage of the ash through chamber 11 and toavoid obstruction of the upward passage of the air blast as above described, the adjacent parts of the generator, such as the grate 4 and ash receiving member 8, are preferably held in place by skeleton supports within such chamber. As shown, the rotary ash receiving member 8 is supported by means of a bearing ring 1'? having webs l8 projecting outwardly therefrom at intervals so as to rest upon an internal ledge 19 carried by the sidewall l2 of chamber 11. The grate 4 is supported at its outer end by a drum 20 secured to inwardly pro- I jecting webs 21 on the ring 1'7, and radial arms 22 extend upwardly in inclined position from about the level of webs 21 to the central portion of the grate, to brace the latter. A supporting structure of the above type permits the ash to fall down freely through the chamber 11 without clogging, and afiords unimpeded passage of the blast blow up through the central area of the grate and through the outlet opening 7.

The rotary agitating member 3 is preferably Water cooled by means of a centrally located stationary pipe 23 which is connected to pipe 24, for example, to serve as an outlet while a larger pipe 25 encloses the pipe 23 and is fixedly connected thereto and connected at its lower end by a swiveled joint 26, to a stationary pipe 2'7 enclosing the pipe 24 above referred to, the pipe 27 serving, for example, as a cooling water inlet to the interior of the agitating member 3 through pipe 25.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed it will be obvious that many changes may be made therein without departing from its principles as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A water gas generator adapted to have a firebed containing fuel and ash zones, and having a grate adapted to support the firebed, sidewalls adapted to enclose the firebed, an up and outstroking agitating member located immediately over the grate, an annular skirt depending from said sidewalls at about the level of said agitating member to confine the ash pushed outwardly by the latter, an ash receiving member underlying said skirt, means afiording passage for a blast of air through said ash receiving member and under said skirt into the firebed, and means for water cooling said skirt.

2. A water gas generator adapted to have a firebed containing fuel and ash zones, and having sidewalls adapted to enclose the firebed, an up and outstroking agitating memberpositioned to work in the bottom portion of the firebed, an annular skirt depending from the sidewalls at about the level of he agitating member to confine the ash pushed out by the latter, an ash receiving member underlying said skirt whereby the bottom portion of the latter projects into said ash receiving member to choke the flow of ash, means affording passage for a blast of air through said ash receiving member and under said skirt into the firebed, and means for water cooling the lower portion of said skirt.

3. A water gas generator adapted to have a firebed containing fuel and ash zones, and comprising a grate adapted to support the firebed, sidewalls adapted to enclose the firebed, an ash agitating member operating over the grate, said generator being provided with an ash discharge opening located outwardly of said grate, a gastight housing providing a dry ash receiving and blast distributing chamber beneath the grate, said chamber being in communication with said ash discharge opening to afford passage of the blast therethrough.

4, A water gas generator adapted to have a firebed containing fuel and ash zones, and com prising a grate adapted to support the firebed, sidewalls adapted to enclose the firebed, said'generator being provided with an ash discharge opening located outwardjy of the grate, an up and outstroking agitating member disposed just above the grate, an annular ash receiving trough underlying said ash discharge opening, and a gas-tight housing surrounding the grate and ash receiving trough to provide a common ash receiving and blast chamber underneath the grate which affords the passage of the blast upwardly through said ash discharge opening as well as through the grate.

5. A water gas generator adapted to have a firebed containing fuel and ash zones, and com-- prising a grate adapted to support the firebed, sidewalls adapted to enclose the firebed, said generator having an ash discharge opening located outwardly of the grate, an ash receiving trough located beneath said ash discharge opening, an up; and outstroking agitating member overlying the grate, a gas-tight housing beneath the sidewalls and enclosing said ash receiving trough to provide an ash chamber beneath the grate and ash trough, and skeleton supports for said ash trough; and said grate extending upwardly thereto from within said chamber to afford free passage of the ash to the bottom of said chamber.

6. A water gas generator adapted to have a firebed containing fuel and ash 201185;; and having a firebed supporting member, refractory sidewalls adapted to enclose the firebed, an up and outstroking agitating member located immediately over said supporting member, a metallic skirt depending from said sidewalls at about the level of said agitating member, a water jacket surrounding the lower portion of said skirt, an annular ash-receiving trough proderlying said skirt and a gas-tight housing providing an ash-receiving and blast supplying chamber beneath the grate and in communication with the ash-receiving trough, means being provided to regulate the rate of flow of the ash from said trough into said chamber.

'7. A water gas generator adapted to have a;

firebed containing. fuel and ash zones, and comprising a grate adapted to support the major portion of the firebed, an ash agitating member operating over the grate, sidewalls adaptedto enclose the firebed, said generator being providecl ash passing from the grate and the ash receiving trough, and afford blast communication for both the grate and said discharge opening, together with means for regulating the rate of flow of ash from said ash receiving trough into said chamber.

CHARLES W. ANDREWS. WILLIAM B. CHAPMAN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,941,455. January 2, 1934.

CHARLES W. ANDREWS, ET AL.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 138, claim 6, for the syllable pro-" read un-; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of February, A. D. 1934.

F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

